Cook County Illinois
Recruitment and Kin Connection Project
GETTING CONNECTED. STAYING CONNECTED
GRANT: #90CO5013
PRESENTATION OUTLINE

RKCP overview

Strategies for recruiting relatives and fictive kin

Concurrent Planning

RKCP Evaluation Overview
Recruitment And Kin Connection Project
We are an intensive family finding and engagement model for families
with children ages 6 through 13 who are new to care:

Empowers birth parents at the time temporary custody is granted;

Locates a support network for each family consisting of relatives,
fictive kin, and significant others with the help of the birth parents;


Encourages permanency planning at case opening: and
Engages with the assigned Child Welfare Specialist to become part of
the team that works diligently to increase placement stability.
MAINTAIN FAMILY CONNECTIONS
The purpose of family finding is to build a
life-long supportive network
for children and their families.
It is our belief that family finding can reduce the
time children are in care when executed with
passion and a sense of urgency.
FROM THE HEART OF A CHILD
“SUPPORT IS GIVING STRENGTH TO ANOTHER”

We interview birth families at the time temporary custody has been
granted and have them identify their current or potential supports

We gather information and conduct outreach visits the next day

We search for, assess, and engage identified birth family members,
fictive kin, and significant others who can act as resources

We re-assess identified family members throughout the case to
assist with service planning

We document all family finding efforts directly onto SACWIS and
provide hard copies for court personnel and child welfare specialists
PARTNER WITH BIRTH PARENTS
Kin Connection Specialists:

Recognize that family involvement is powerful and effective.

Help families design change by identifying their own positive supports.

Find relatives and friends with the help of the birth parents who can be a
positive support to the parents and to the children while they are in
substitute care.

Respect and value the birth parent’s suggestions of relatives who can help.

Locate relatives who can help the birth parents with meeting the tasks of
their service plan.
THE SEARCH FOR CURRENT AND POTENTIAL CONNECTIONS
The Kin Connection Specialist will:

Gather names, addresses, and phone numbers of family
members identified by the birth family;

Reach out to the identified family members the day after
temporary custody is granted;

Conduct file mining of the current information available on
SACWIS that may lead to identifying more family members;

Schedule face-to-face meetings that will assess the current
level of support for the family and create a plan that will assist
with potential family support.
PRESERVE FAMILY HISTORY AND RELATIONSHIPS
We document a child’s history and relationships as
soon as temporary custody is granted:

The birth parent’s account of supportive family members

A baseline and subsequent genogram

A child-centered eco-map

A Family Finding Information sheet complete with addresses
and phone numbers of family members

A comprehensive Family Search and Engagement Summary
Report
FAMILY FINDING INFORMATION
PLACED IN SACWIS

The Kin Connection Specialist has been assigned a
role on SACWIS and is able to document all family
finding history in the family’s permanent SACWIS
record under the Diligent Search section.

The Kin Connection Specialist has been assigned a
specific role on the Diligent Search Service Center in
order to complete diligent searches for family
members
PARTNER WITH COURT PERSONNEL
Public Defender:

Introduces KCS to family at TC hearing and
encourages the birth parents to take advantage of
family finding services;

Receives a copy of the family finding information for
future reference for their clients.
PARTNER WITH COURT PERSONNEL
Public Guardian:

Serves as a consultant for the KCS regarding
the child’s needs;

Acts as a member of the child’s team regarding
family finding efforts.
TRANSFER OF LEARNING MODEL
The Kin Connection Specialist teaches the family search and
engagement model to the assigned Child Welfare Specialist by:

Helping families design change by identifying supports and use this
information in service and concurrent planning;

Teaching the importance of preserving the family relationships;

Recognizing that when a family tells their story in their own words, it can
lead to better searches, and better outcomes.
DISCOVERY IN FAMILY FINDING
File mining: SACWIS and paper files
 Birth parent interviews, mother and father
 Interviewing family members
 Interviewing the children
 Interviewing community members
 Internet and data system searches
 Identify challenges and barriers and navigate
around them

ENGAGEMENT IN FAMILY FINDING
Most crucial component in family finding
 Demonstrate respect/empathy
 Develop an understanding of the family’s past
experience and current situation
 Identify family strengths and needs together
 Be consistent, reliable, and honest
 Allow family members to “vent, validate, and
venture”

FAMILY ENGAGMENT TIPS

Engage and empower both parents as much as
possible – listen to and respect their story

Do not assume that the family member knows how
important he/she is to the child – ENLIGHTEN
THEM

Discuss the positive impact their continued
involvement can have on the child’s well-being

Identify AT LEAST 4 key figures that are committed
to maintaining family connections and assess
past, current, and potential relationships with the
family and children
ASSESS FOUR LEVELS OF SUPPORT
The Kin Connection Specialist will meet with identified family
members and fictive kin and determine what level of support they
can provide to the family and to the child(ren) in care.

Formal Supports – Level 4

Natural Supports – Level 3

Community Supports – Level 2

Informal Supports – Level 1
FORMAL SUPPORTS
 Current
placement
 Potential
 Extended
future placement if needed
respite care
NATURAL SUPPORTS








Planned short term respite care
Emergency respite care
Child mentor
Parenting coach for birth parents
Provide transportation to school, doctor, therapist
Provide transportation to community activities
Supervision of safety plan
Child care
COMMUNITY SUPPORTS
Therapist
 Attorney
 School personnel
 Church members
 Youth groups
 Youth counselors
 Scout leaders, dance teachers, or friends

INFORMAL SUPPORTS
The identified family member or fictive kin can:






Send cards, letters of support
Be present at important events in a child’s life
Make phone calls
Plan outings, movie nights, sporting events
Provide family photographs
Offer emotional support by staying connected
LOCATE SUPPORTIVE KIN/FICTIVE KIN

Family Gem: Current or potential placement

Family Leader: The family looks to this person for support and
guidance; has the ability to motivate others in the family to act;
holds the “power” in the family

Family Informant: Shares structure of family dynamics and can
identify the family’s strengths, needs, and current barriers

Key Player: Has the resources/skill sets to be an important
figure in the child’s life in areas such as weekend visits,
tutoring, mentoring, and outings.
CENTRAL FAMILY FIGURES
Family Gem

current placement

potential future placement (crucial)

short-term respite provider

long-term respite provider
CENTRAL FAMILY FIGURES
Family Informant

Willing to talk to the KCS about family structure
and dynamics

Identifies family members on maternal and
paternal side

Willing to share contact information for
additional family members
CENTRAL FAMILY FIGURES
Family Leader

Family members look to this person for support
and guidance

Holds “power” in the family

Has the strongest ability to motivate others in
the family to stay involved
CENTRAL FAMILY FIGURES
Key Player

Resources and skill sets to be an important
figure in the child’s life

Not the current placement and may not serve
that role in the future

Mentor, confidant, includes child in family
activities
OUR FINDINGS BECOME PART OF THE
FAMILY’S PERMANENT RECORD

Family Finding Information Sheet

SACWIS case note under Diligent Search Section

Baseline/Subsequent genograms

Child Centered Eco maps

Family Search and Engagement Summary Report
HOW TO DEVELOP A CONCURRENT PLAN

Two fold process:
*build a life-long supportive network
*develop an alternate plan if reunification is not
possible

Concurrent planning requires:
*open, honest, complete communication between
the birth parents, foster parents, and case
manager
*respectful use of disclosure
THE RKCP EVALUATION PROCESS
There are two primary data sources to the evaluation:
1. SACWIS File Reviews
Goal: To collect traditional child welfare outcome data.
2. Home Visits
Goal: To collect child well-being and psycho-social outcome data.
Measures:





Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)
Harter Self-Perception Scale (Self Esteem)
Positive and Negative Emotions (PANAS)
Optimism and Pessimism (Y-LOT)
Network of Relationships Inventory (NRI)
KEY EVALUATION HYPOTHESES
Children in the intervention group will:

Achieve permanency more quickly.

Return home or achieve kinship guardianship at
higher rates.

Have fewer placement disruptions.

Have better psycho-social and well-being
outcomes.
EVALUATION DESIGN

Children between the ages of 6 and 13 are served.

Cases are randomly assigned to courtrooms at Cook
County Juvenile Court on Concourse and Ground
Levels.

In Year 1 of implementation, the intervention group
included all children on the Concourse Level and the
Control Group included children on the Ground Level.
The groups have switched floors in Year 2.
SCHEDULING HOME VISITS

The home visit team contacts each child’s foster parent or residential
placement to attempt to schedule a home visit approximately six weeks
after the temporary custody hearing. Up to seven calls are made over the
course of three weeks.

Shelters are contacted to obtain permission for visits with children placed at
these facilities.

Caseworkers are contacted to assist in scheduling visits with children in
inpatient placements.

Each child’s caseworker is notified once a home visit has been scheduled.

Subsequent home visits are conducted at 6 and 12 months after temporary
custody. Placement and caseworker contact information are updated as needed at
these times.
SACWIS FILE REVIEW
Four Phases:
Phase I
Using SACWIS File Review Document, RKCP evaluation team collects data
from SACWIS involving demographics, basic case information and relative
involvement.
Phase II
Evaluator emails Child Welfare Specialist or Kin Connection Specialist to
set up a 20-30 minute phone call to discuss Phase I results.
Phase III
At six-eight months, Child Welfare Specialists are sent cases with lists of
kin/fictive kin identified in Phase I.
Phase IV
Case closure. Evaluator completes section of file review pertaining to case
disposition and all placements and placement dates while in care.
SACWIS FILE REVIEW:
KIN/FICTIVE KIN IDENTIFICATION
First Kin/Fictive Kin Name:______________________ Age:_____ Relationship to youth: Maternal Aunt________________
□Respite
□Visitations
□Home of Relative
Foster Care Option
□Phone calls
□Tutoring/HW help
□Mentoring
□Childcare
□Transportation
assistance
□Coaching
□Birthday cards
□Invitation to family or
other events (e.g.,
picnics)
□Attendance at
important events
(e.g., sports)
□Biological parent
support
□Foster parent support
Positive attachment
figure?
□Yes
□ No involvement □Other Involvement. List:
□Barriers to involvement (e.g., substance use, perpetrator). List:
□No
INTERVENTION VERSUS CONTROL GROUP:
MEAN NUMBER OF RELATIVES IDENTIFIED
30
25
Mean
# of
Relatives
20
15
19.5
12.3
10
5
0
Intervention
Control
More Relatives Identified in the Intervention versus Control
Group
INTERVENTION VERSUS CONTROL GROUP:
MEAN NUMBER OF “ATTACHMENTS” IDENTIFIED
4
3.5
3
Mean
# of
Relatives
2.5
2.1
2
1.5
1
0.5
0.09
0
Intervention
Control
More “Attached” Relatives Identified in the Intervention
versus Control Group
PERMANENCY PLANNING
“Would you consider any of the kin or fictive kin we have
discussed as alternative placements for the child if the
current placement were not to work out for some
reason?”

If yes,
Name of person:_________________________

“Have you discussed this possibility with this person?”
YES _____
NO _____
KIN CONNECTION SPECIALIST VERSUS CHILD WELFARE SPECIALIST
CAPACITY TO IDENTIFY ALTERNATIVE PLACEMENTS
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
42%
40%
30%
20%
12%
10%
0%
Intervention
Control
Kin Connection Specialists (Intervention) were able to
identify alternative placements more often.
INTERVENTION VERSUS CONTROL GROUP:
TIME 1 HARTER SELF-CONCEPT DIFFERENCES
90
85
81.11
80
75
72.75
70
65
60
55
50
Intervention
Control
Intervention group had higher self-concept scores,
controlling for demographic and intake differences.
INTERVENTION VERSUS CONTROL GROUP:
TIME 1 NETWORK OF RELATIONSHIP INVENTORY
DIFFERENCES (DISCLOSURE)
15
14
13
12
11
10.43
10
9
8.49
8
7
6
5
Intervention
Control
Intervention group was more likely to disclose to relatives,
controlling for demographic and intake differences.
PROPORTION OF RELATIVE TO TOTAL
PLACEMENTS: INTERVENTION VERSUS CONTROL
60%
50%
40%
Intervention
Control
30%
20%
10%
0%
1 Placement
2 Placements
3 Placements
4 Placements
5 Placements
As the number of placements children experience increases, the proportion of placements
that are with relatives is stable for the intervention but decreases for the control group.
FAMILY FINDING IS NICE!
Navigate
Impact
Connect
Empower/Engage
CONTACT INFORMATION
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services
100 West Randolph, Suite 6-100
Meryl Paniak, MSW, JD
IDCFS Project Administrator – Office of Legislative Affairs
312.814.2409
Meryl.Paniak@illinois.gov
Mary Dreiser, MSW
Statewide Federal Grants Manager
312.814.6934
Mary.Dreiser@illinois.gov
CONTACT INFORMATION
Adoptions Unlimited, Inc.
120 W. Madison, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: 312.346.1516
Fax: 312.346.0004
Marilyn Panichi
Executive Director----- 312.462.7225
mrp@adoptinfo-il.org
Deborah J. Saucedo
RKCP Director – 773.682.1667
Cook County Juvenile Court – 8th Floor,2245 West Ogden Avenue, Chicago, IL 60612
ds@adoptinfo-il.org
or
Deborah.Saucedo@illinois.gov
Kristin Miller
RKCP Associate Director – 773.682.2114
IDCFS Joliet Office – 1619 W. Jefferson Street, Joliet, IL, 60435-6724
kmiller@adoptinfo-il.org
or
Kristin.Miller2@illinois.gov
Dr. Scott Leon, PhD., Associate Professor, Loyola University
RKCP Evaluator
773.508.8713
sleon@luc.edu